Binding Ties
by fictionlover94
Summary: Title inspired by the ancients way of marriage with handfasting. Merida and Ian are getting married! Not only that but after young Macintosh finds out the girl he loves is destined to marry another man, he takes fate into his own hands. T rating for a reason! Young Macguffin/Merida. Young Macintosh/OFC. Please review, it makes me write more.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay so I was really debating on making there marriage an arranged one and then have them warm up to each other. Then I had this idea where Aileen was engaged to somebody else. I think the second one ended up coming out however. Which by the way leads to a later part in my story. **

Everybody was milling around the party just starting up. King Fergus always knew how to throw a wild bash, no matter who the guests were. Ian and Merida's wedding was something everybody wanted to see, but only so many people were invited. So far it was all the clan leaders and there immediate family, minus the fact that everybody important from clan Macguffin had come like the serfs and what not.

Fergus had scanned the room noting how everybody was in a jolly good mood. Elinor was talking with Ladies Macintosh and Dingwall about something unknown to him. Merida and Ian were talking with Torrance, Aileen, Catherine, and Abernathy. The Donoghue clan was even here with small children running about around everybody's legs.

There was even some old peddler woman in the mix, claiming she was a whittler of wood. He didn't know how she got here, but the more the merrier. Bagpipers played until they needed drinks themselves. A wedding was a happy occasion that everybody needed to have fun at. He looked around once more to find that Ian and Merida had left. Hopefully they were just talking, none of that needed to be done until after the ceremony.

Torrance Macintosh only stared at the girl in front of him, and the first word running through his mind was perfection. Her green eyes pierced through him and he only stared with that smirk on his face. Aileen Mackenzie stared right back at him with her own smirk on her face. Torrance winked and for a second she had let her guard down, and flushing. So she wasn't that hard of a nut to crack, she was just stubborn.

"Aileen, come meet Lord Kennan," said her father Lord Donald Mackenzie. He lead her away by her arm and then she only flashed Torrance a look that said later. A promise that they would see each other later tonight. They have been meeting in secret for the past month or so getting to know each other. Torrance was teaching her how to use a sword. He usually felt proud to say that everything she knew was courtesy of himself.

Lady Mackenzie, Aileen's mother, pulled him into a conversation with Wee Dingwall and herself. Catherine was also listening taking in everything she was saying. They were talking about who that mysterious girl was that Wee, aka Abernathy, was head over heals for. It was Lady Audrey's Mackenzie mission to figure out what Torrance was looking for in a girl. That way she could lay it on pretty thick to Lord Magnus Macintosh.

From the corner of his eye, he was too busy paying attention to the raven haired beauty. The waves in her hair shimmered in the fiery light as she nodded at something she was saying. In that moment he took the time to drink the sight of her in. Other then the striking midnight waves, her emerald eyes were so foreign to him. Her father probably said something that confused her, because she loosened up. Her oh so rigid back sagged and her right foot moved backward, giving him a nice glance of backside. She had just the right sized hips for bearing children and her butt cute and pert.

He had every right to stare, she was one of the most beautiful women in the room. Even Merida seemed to pale in comparison, in his eyes. He had knew Aileen Mackenzie to long to notice her as soon as she entered the room.

From his spot it wasn't hard to study her soft face with a pink blush on her face. Then his eyes traveled down her body, her breasts moving from her breathing was hypnotizing him. Then snapping up when he heard Lady Mackenzie say something about Aileen then paid attention to the conversation for once. Then his eyes traveled up to her face, Aileen's face was full as she smiled and her wide eyes were sad for some reason.

She turned and started to walk fast past him her emerald eyes blurred. Quickly he excused himself from Lady Mackenzie and Abernathy following her from the room to another part of the castle.

"Aileen!" he called running after her. Pale dusty pink skirts were seen from the corner of her eye. A couple of people looked up but didn't try to stop the sobbing girl. One or two people from the Macguffin clan pointed him in the correct direction.

_"Aileen this is Lord Alpin and his son Lyle Kennon," said Donald Mackenzie to his eldest daughter. _

_"Hello Lord Kennon," said Aileen to him, her back straight and her hand extended toward him. Lord Kennon was a tall with a lean frame, his blond hair thinning. Pale blue eyes meet hers. His son looked at her and smiled at her as well, except Lyle's smile didn't seem to reach his eyes. Instead he stared at her hungrily, a flash of lust crossed his face. She was quite beautiful; her long wavy black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, her green eyes sparkled like a gem. Her face full and skin pale, free of any flaws. The pink dress she wore hugged her curves and showed enough cleavage, enough to leave him guessing._

_"Hello Lyle," she said trying hard not to notice the look he was giving her. Right now she really wished Torrance was with her and not mixed in somewhere in the crowd. She shook his eyes and could literally feel his eyes roving over her body. She politely started to listen to what her father was saying by her mind in another place. Perhaps tonight after the engagement party she would talk to Torrance... _

_Then her eyes snapped up when she heard the words 'Aileen is engaged to you.' Then trying to show her discomfort she looked up at the person, her father was saying you too. Lyle. _

_"Excuse me, but father what do you mean that I'm engaged to Lyle?" she asked alarmed at what she was hearing. That couldn't possibly be correct, could it? She was in love with Torrance (though she wouldn't admit it) not Lyle. Her blood ran cold and she felt her eyes go moist. _

_"Yes, it has been arranged since you were 10 years old," he said and then turned to Alpin. Lyle only looked at with what anybody else would call a charming smile. Instead it reminded her of a hungry animal ready to pounce on it's target. She bit her lip and excused herself from the three men. Finally after she was a safe distance away she burst into fresh tears and ran into another part of the castle. _

Torrance made his way to her sobbing form in the hallway. Her salmon skirts were pulled up to her face and her hair covering her white skin. Her body was shaking along with the rest of her. He put his hand on her shoulder, but she didn't look up. So instead of trying to pry the information from her, he simply held her in his arms.

Finally she reduced her tears to nothing but shaking in her spot. Gulping for air she just looked at him and Torrance brushed dark waves away from her face. Then one hand cupped her cheek and had her looking at him. He didn't have to say anything before she finally spoke up.

"My father," she whimpered and buried her face in his kilt starting to cry again. He made a gentle soothing shush sound in her ear to calm her down. Never in the time that he knew her did Aileen ever have one of these fits.

"Aileen what did your father do?" he asked trying to make sense of things. Then a look crossed his face, one like someone had slapped him. No, no, that couldn't be what it was could it? Their mother's they had to have some kind of say in these matters. Kendra and Audrey must have talked with this to Magnus and Donald. Then again...

"Are you going to go through with it?" Torrance asked. He was so sure that she felt the same thing he felt for her. Aileen's head snapped up when she heard this. What? She had to marry Lyle otherwise that meant exile. It was the correct thing to do, backing out would mean a war between the Mackenzie and Kennan clan. It would be a disgrace and Aileen herself not marriage material. Aileen Saundra Mackenzie would be destined to die a spinster. Instead she sat quietly at those words.

Torrance grew quiet and looked at her with a hard look. He knew what that meant, Aileen wasn't going to stop this. She was going to let her father walk all over her like that. He stood up with an angry look on his face.

"Your not going to do nothing," he said walking up to the door. He wanted to be angry with her, but she had her reasons. No he was mad at her father, arranged marriages were common, yes. But he had every right to marry Aileen if he wanted to. They had become so close recently and he didn't want to break that up. Even through there fights they were still together.

He had a plan and it involved secrecy and trickery.


	2. Chapter 2

**Does anybody know how the monarchy works in this movie? I mean Merida said how all of the clans elected Fergus to be king. Then Elinor said how Fergus had to compete for her hand. So I'm taking a wild guess and saying its a matriarchy system. **

**I have this story though, about that. Somebody else won Elinor's hand but when the clan leaders started fighting with each other and Mordu attacks, Fergus leads them all into a battle. Then the lords elected Fergus to be there leader, including the guy who originally won her hand. **

**However if it happens to be a patriarchy (father to son) then Merida takes over temporarily until one of the triplets are fit to be king. In either case Ian would move to castle Dunbroch I believe, unless Elinor moved to Fergus's castle. Wow long authors note :D **

Merida and Ian have gotten away from the party, with all of it's loud noises and what not. While matching her place Ian took this time to study Merida, she was beautiful with her long red hair flowing behind them. A new dress was made for this occasion, a pretty rich black dress that hugged her every curve. Ever since she announced who she would marry, everything had happened in a whirlwind.

First, Merida was fitting for all knew dresses. The idea made Merida sick at the idea of sitting in a room with a bunch of other docile ladies, making clothes. So she had excused herself to go horseback riding and have fun with her father or Ian. By the time the wedding came around however, she had a brand new closet. Rich, deep velvety browns were her best dresses. Her everyday dresses were the burnt orange color from the Macguffin family kilt. Elinor personally made her a green dress just for riding.

As part of the whirlwind the next thing that happened, was Ian moving in, a month ahead of time. Then the crowning ceremony along with a bunch of other things that they were doing.

"Merida," he said as she stopped right outside the room. Mum had just showed her the room earlier today. Then finally had that talk that Merida was put off from learning the most. It was still awkward to think of how that made children, but she brushed those thoughts away. Maybe this time they would have some kind of talk like she wanted.

Ian's eyes strayed toward the door, and then to Merida with her growing uneasiness. So that was the room they had to consummate there marriage in. Why were they here? He didn't want to think of doing deeds meant for later right now. Instead he shrugged trying hard not to show that he was nervous about that. Instead he thought of the extra piece of metal in his pocket.

"Do you want to go in?" he asked slipping his hand into his pocket. Merida, mutely nodded her head in agreement. Ian opened the door and found a pretty room that would be theirs soon. Fit for the next king and queen.

And it was fit for the both of them, a large bed was the main feature in the room made from an oak tree. The mattress was bigger then the bed in Lord Macguffin's room, and the bedspread a dark burnt orange color. Green hangings hung from the four posters making it seem like being outside. On another wall was a large wardrobe with double doors, one side housing his kilts and undershirts, the other her new dresses.

There was even a space for Merida to keep her bow and him to keep is sword, for protection purposes of course. Then Ian held out his hand as they sat on the bed. Puzzled Merida took his hand unsure.

"I have something for you," he said and he pressed the medallion in her hands. "Since you don't have yours anymore."

Merida looked at the medallion and smiled. She no longer had hers since she traded it with the witch. It wasn't one of the sword, but rather the cauldron of his clan. It was a sweet gesture and she smiled.

"Thank you," she said looking up at him. Then as there blue eyes meet and her lips parted slightly as they moved closer. He leaned in and his lips gently touched hers, slow and sweet. Nobody was going to walk on them with the party going on.

_~ Meanwhile ~_

"Donald I do not remember you talking to me about this," said Lady Audrey Mackenzie to her dimwitted husband. She had thought of the arrangement between her and Kendra's child years before they were even thought of. When they soon figured out they were engaged, they talked about having a child at the same time. Promises like that were unbreakable, no matter what the circumstance.

"Audrey please, it's been 9 years..." said Donald looking his wife.

"9 years? 9 years Donald!? This has been arranged since birth, birth I tell you. I am not breaking my promise with Kendra it's more important then your silly little agreement with Alpin. Didn't we agree that when we got married I would be the one making all of the decisions?" Audrey started to get more tense by the minute.

"Well excuse me Audrey," said Donald and his voice faltered. They had agreed to that didn't they? But the agreement with Lord Kennan promised them more land and allies during wartime. But the same thing was going to made with her marriage to Torrance as well, only a different clan. Donald gulped and looked over at Torrance talking with Aileen not to far from where they were standing. It wasn't really the boys fault, it was the two ladies that made promises with each other. Binding promises he heard from Kendra.

"You will tell Alpin that he will have to find a different wife for his son. Because they have broke a binding promise that has been going on since birth. I mean really we have communication issues to work on."


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright I borrowed the handfasting ceremony from a website! I only used the words from the ceremony and replaced Groom and Bride with the correct names. And historical facts!: **

**- Handfasting was generally the way to marry before the church decided to butt in and make things all official, which was sometime in the 9th or 10th centuries. A usual hand fasting ceremony was usually temporary for a year and a day. But some handfasting ceremonies can be made permanent. **

**- Rings weren't exchanged until the 10th century in wedding ceremonies. Before they were used to decorate the human body dating back to the Egyptians. **

**I'm not sure about the difference and used a generic ceremony. **

Fergus was to marry his son in law and his daughter. He really insisted on doing it himself even though public speaking wasn't his strongest quality. It was customary for the bride's father to marry the next future king and queen. Elinor's father had married both of them oh so long ago. Finally all of the guests made a circle around Fergus and a small gap for Merida and Ian to walk through. A small stone alter was set up holding flower decorations, the handfasting cords, and candles.

Each cord was to bind the hands together of the ones getting married. The hand fasting was usually a temporary thing, but this particular ceremony made it permanent to those who marry. Each cord had a significance to each of them.

Then Merida walked out holding Ian's hand, both of them actually nervous as well. Fergus kind of hoped the after party would loosen them up, particularly when they had to consummate the wedding of course. Fergus rubbed his hands together and finally got a good look at his daughter. She looked just like her mother, and it took all he could muster not to burst into tears.

Merida of course looked beautiful in a long dress that trimmed along the tall grass. The sleeves were wide and long trimmed with Celtic designs at every hem. The neck line plunged a little low for Fergus's taste, and laced up in the back. The dress was something new, something old was the nature inspired crown courtesy of Kirstin Macguffin, the blue was the garter belt, the borrowed was a belt from Lainie. Finally there was a six pence in Merida's shoe, all of which meant good luck.

Ian looked handsome with his blond hair tied up and a (small) trimmed beard and a new kilt. His usual gray shirt and armor replaced with a nice woven brown undershirt. Nobody seemed to notice a couple of the young adults slip away halfway through the ceremony.

~*~ Meanwhile ~*~

Aileen found a dress, it wasn't the best one, but it defiantly wasn't the worst dress to put on. No, Torrance would find it stunning on her when she got there, as she kept walking. The dress didn't have a train but it did look pretty at least. Not to far more into the woods Torrance was waiting for Aileen to come to the ceremony. With them as witnesses was Abernathy Dingwall and Aileen's brother Gavin. The person marrying them, was a young druid that was fresh out of training.

For some reason when she got there an old peddler women was there, who claimed she was a whittler of wood. Either way the ceremony was starting for the both of them. The ceremony started off with the same speech and then until they got to the binding.

Somehow, and he had no clue how, Torrance had convinced her to marry him. Doing so will lead to some serious consequences for getting married behind there parents back. Aileen had the chance to be exiled from her old home, and possibly if Lyle had taken it the wrong way war between the Kennon and Mackenzie. But they were in this together, they had the support of there mothers.

"Torrance, Will you be Aileen's faithful partner for life?" asked the Druid seriously.

"Yes," he said with out hesitation.

"Aileen, will you be Torrance's faithful partner for life?"

"Yes."

"Will you be each other's constant friends and one true love?" asked the Druid and the witch dabbed her eyes.

"Yes," said both Aileen and Torrance. They smiled and Aileen held a faint blush to her usually pale cheeks.

"And so the binding is made." A pale pink cord was tied around there wrists. While Torrance and Aileen's ceremony was just starting, Merida and Ian's was a bit on a stand still after the fifth binding. Back at the one nearest to the castle Fergus had burst into tears about his daughter finally getting married. Fergus was crying into his new kilt droning on and on about a particular story about Merida.

All while Merida was resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Ian was a bit taken aback, this wasn't rehearsed.

"Then on her sixth birthday I gave her, her very first bow," said Fergus weeping into a tissue. Brandon Macguffin could only stare along with the rest of the lords in a stunned silence. They weren't sure how exactly to stop him from going on. Finally Elinor had to step in.

"While Fergus gets a hold of himself, I will be finishing this ceremony," said Elinor. They just had one more binding left followed by the candle lighting.

"Merida, will you honor this man?" asked Elinor her own eyes brimming with tears of pride. Merida took a deep breath, this was the last cord. The one that was once used at her parent's wedding.

"I will," said Merida her voice actually small for once. Elinor smiled and looked at her son in law.

"Ian, Will you honor this woman?"

"I will," said Ian looking directly into Elinor's eyes and then straight into Merida's. Both of them smiled, and he felt the piece of cloth that was once his mother's dig into his skin.

"Now both of you: Will you both seek to cherish and strengthen that honor?" asked Elinor, holding the last cord.

"We will," both Ian and Merida's voices cracked some and the cord was wrapped around there wrists once more. After the sixth cord though, Elinor untied all of them ready to give the final speech as she did it.

"The knots of this binding are not formed by these chords but instead by your vows. Either of you may drop the chords, for as always, you hold in your own hands the making or breaking of this union."

Merida and Ian lite a couple candles together that made Fergus burst into tears once more.

**"**Only a couple can seal the promise of a marriage to each other, and only a couple can bind it. No power vested in me by the state can grant me the authority to declare what only these two hearts can declare, and what only these two souls can make real. And so now, inasmuch as you, Ian, and you, Merida, have announced the truths that are already written in your hearts, and have witnessed the same in the presence of these, your family and friends, - we observe joyfully that you are now husband and wife."

Finally both Fergus and Brandon spoke up.

_"I present to you Ian and Merida Macguffin!" _

Everybody exited the circle and into the castle for a feast to feed hundreds. Lord and Lady Macintosh as were Lord and Lady Mackenzie were looking for Torrance and Aileen but the crowd was too big. Both couples dismissed the fact that they were just lost in the crowd. Nobody suspected anything as Torrance and Aileen sealed there wedding, with a kiss.


End file.
